Veterans battle METRO to ride HOT lanes for free

HOUSTON (FOX 26) - Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee was flanked by a group of angry veterans who say they put their lives on the line for this country so why can't disabled or seriously injured vets ride the HOT lanes in Houston for free.

This has been an ongoing battle between METRO and the veterans for months.

Those veterans say the Harris County Toll Road system makes an exception for them by allowing those with designated license tags and military identification to use their system free.

They're not sure why METRO is not willing to come to the table with the HOT lanes.

Meanwhile, METRO has agreed to a 6-month pilot program for veterans to ride fixed routes for free.

In the meantime, METRO's CEO Gilbert Garcia tells FOX 26 news he's all for a program for disabled veterans but some of his board members want to study the issue to determine impact and how it would be implemented.

Once again, Garcia says he's all for it and he hopes to present a pilot program at the next board meeting at the end of March.